Program in Entrepreneurship

The Program in Entrepreneurship is an academic program that allows engineering students in any of the CoE BSE or BS programs who take a set of at least 9 credit hours of courses focused on entrepreneurship to have this experience recognized through a notation on their transcript.

Students are encouraged to petition the CFE to have other U-M courses included as potential core and elective course by filling out the the petition form.

The Program in Entrepreneurship is an academic program that provides U-M students an opportunity to explore entrepreneurship through an academic program.  All students that successfully complete the program will be recognized by the Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE).   Students participating in the Program are required to take at least one course from each of the following categories resulting in at least 9 credit hours of courses focused on entrepreneurship.

The Program in Entrepreneurship requires a minimum of nine credits. Pre-requisites for this program are: completion of freshman year, and good academic standing. The curricular elements of the program are:

A. Seminar focused on Entrepreneurship
B. Core Course in Entrepreneurship
C. Elective Course in Entrepreneurship
D. Entrepreneurial Practicum

Part A: Distinguished Innovators Speaker Series (1 credit)
Enrollment in The Distinguished Innovators Speaker Series (ENG407)  is required for all students interested in pursuing the Program in Entreprneurship.  This courseexposes students to entrepreneurship through interaction with business leaders, venture capitalists, and attorneys, as well as individuals involved in emerging business models, new venture creation, and technology commercialization. Past speakers in this series include:  Tim Westergren, the Chief Strategy Officer and founder of Pandora Media; Joel Martin, Eminem’s Producer and founder of 8 Mile Style Music; Shane and Shawn Ward, Creative Director, President, and founders of SHANE&SHAWN..

Part B: Core Course in Entrepreneurship (3-4 credits)
Core courses in entrepreneurship provide students with a broad introduction into entrepreneurship and how entrepreneurial ideas are turned into businesses. . Core classes are typically project-based courses that guide students through the entrepreneurial process.

Part C: Elective Course in Entrepreneurship (2-4 credits) This requirement can be fulfilled by any class from the list of Core Entrepreneurship courses or the list of Elective courses. Each class focuses on entrepreneurship or topics that have direct relevance to entrepreneurs such as business law, business skills, and general trends in an industry. Even though the central value of these classes should still be entrepreneurship, broader latitude is given to these classes. Classes used to satisfy the Core Course in Entrepreneurship cannot simultaneously be used to satisfy this requirement.

Part D: Entrepreneurial Practicum (3 credits) The practicum is a self-directed project-based course. It is designed to help students gain first-hand experience in entrepreneurship by working on their business ideas or by going through special internship programs with startups ventures in Southeast Michigan.  Students enrolled in the Practicum course meet at least once every two weeks to share lessons learned and hear from guest speakers.  The expected workload of the practicum is estimated to be equivalent to 9-12 hours per week for a 14-week time-period.

There are two ways to fulfill this program requirement: The first and preferred option is to involve students in an Entrepreneurship Project in an entrepreneurial environment outside the U-M, accompanied by the Entrepreneurship Project class; this class will be piloted in the 2008-2009 academic year; consult the Center for Entrepreneurship for registration information. Students either work on their own businesses or involve themselves in an entrepreneurial project in an already existing entrepreneurial business. Credit is given for preparation, tracking and reporting tasks related to this activity. The project is initiated by a white paper which outlines the work and success criteria for the practicum and which is consented to by each partner. In parallel to the company-sponsored activity that spans 14 weeks, students participate in weekly teleconferences and a final presentation led by the Center for Entrepreneurship's academic advisor. A final report of the Entrepreneurship Project, graded by the U-M faculty, is to be submitted to the program advisor upon completion of the work. The work will also be presented in a final presentation to a panel of experts.

A second option can be within the University of Michigan through a class or independent study led by a UM professor. The criteria for this work are identical to the outside options described above. A white paper initiates the work and is to be submitted to the Center for Entrepreneurship's academic advisor prior to the execution of the practicum related work for approval. A final report of the entrepreneurial practicum, graded by the U-M faculty, is to be submitted to the program advisor upon completion of the work. The work will also be presented in a final presentation to a panel of experts. University of Michigan conflict of interest policies apply to these projects.

The Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education has ultimate administrative and advising duties for the Program in Entrepreneurship, but has delegated these to the Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, a faculty advisor. In addition to academic advice and tracking of all elements of the Program in Entrepreneurship, the director is also responsible to identify necessary changes to the Core and Elective Entrepreneurship course lists, subject to approval by the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education.

Upon completion of this program, successful completion of the Program in Entrepreneurship will be noted on the student’s transcript. The certificate is not part of the undergraduate diploma from the University of Michigan.

Students interested in the Program in Entrepreneurship should contact the Center for Entrepreneurship on North Campus. Center for Entrepreneurship 251 Chrysler Center 2121 Bonisteel Boulevard Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2102 734-763-1021 http://cfe.engin.umich.edu/
http://www.engin.umich.edu/minors/